Significant Events in the Ecumenical Movement

Significant Events in the Ecumenical Movement

Alan D. Falconer

Introduction One of our objectives is to provide an opportunity for sharing experiences in the

teaching of ecumenics, through which each of us might be stimulated for, and encouraged in, our ecumenical work. One aspect of this sharing involves us in the exchange of information about teaching methods, course structures and the resources which are available for our common task. The experience of those of us involved in such teaching is, however, a limited one.

Each of us teaches in a specific context and with a particular constituency. Some of us are involved in adult education, others in the training of ordinands, and yet others in the training and supervision of post-graduate students. The course methods and content which each of us develops are determined by our particular situation It i s therefore important that our remarks are contextualized so that we can understand each other better and so that we can discern what can be applied to our situation and what can only be applied after major modification.

Another factor which determines our approach to the literature and concerns aof the ecumenical movement is our own attitude to ecumenism. The literature of the ecumenical movement, of course, is subject, and must be subject, to the same scientific critique as any other body of literature. Is our purpose in teaching ecumenics, however, one of introducing our students to the body of literature of a contemporary ecclesiastical phenomenon? If so, then ecumenics will perhaps be one optional course in our academic programme alongside other optional courses, or may even be part of a course on the history of the contemporary church, and may even give the impression that the manifestation of church unity and ecumenical commitment is an option for the church. If, however, our attitude is that the manifestation of church unity is essential for the church, that each of us can learn from writers of other ecclesiastical traditions, and that theological, liturgical and ethical reflection is enriched by its common expression, then the literature of the ecumenical movement

0 Dr Alan Falconer teaches at the Irish School of Ecumenics, Dublin

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SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT

will pervade all the courses in our programme, and will be related to the whole body of literature studied in our academic programme. The methods, structures and resources of our courses will, therefore, be dependent upon our overall goal and attitude to the importance of church unity. While the academic or scientific approach to the ecumenical literature should not be affected by the weight we are going to give to the vision of ecumenism, the way in which we introduce ecumenical literature will be determined by the importance attached to ecumenism in our overall academic programme.

The situation, then, out of which my own reflections emerge is that of a post- graduate institution where students undertake structured courses for a degree in ecumenical studies in three areas of study: interchurch dialogue, interfaith dialogue and ethical questions with a major focus on peace issues, and in one area of which they undertake a piece of research. The students have therefore completed three years of theological study prior to commencing our degree programme. Our staff and student body are drawn from the major Christian traditions. Our institute also services some “optional courses” in ecumenism in Roman Catholic seminaries, and runs adult education courses, programmes and events on ecumenical themes throughout Ireland. The way in which the literature of the ecumenical movement is used, and the resources employed in each of these situations, are of course determined by the particular theme to be studied and by the background of the participants themselves.

In the programme of interchurch dialogue which treats the history and literature of the ecumenical movement most explicitly, there are five courses where we seek: 1) to lay a biblical and theological foundation for the vision of ecumenism and to

introduce the student to the different ways that vision has been pursued - councils, Christian world communions, church unions, local ecumenism at parish level, etc.;

2) to explore in one topic, viz. the eucharist, the different methodologies and results of the international bilateral and multilateral agreements;

3) to examine the concept of “faith” and “theology”, and to ask whether there can be an ecumenical way of doing theology;

4) to explore the concept of justification by faith and thus reconcile different memories of the same event, drawing on some contemporary ecumenical agreements;

5 ) to try from our respective traditions to elaborate a theology of ministry (including the Petrine ministry).

All our students are required to take the first two of these courses, so that at the very least each student should complete his or her course with a theologically based vision of ecumenism, a knowledge of the different models of church unity, and of the contemporary international agreements and their methodologies. They should also have acquired the technique of reading and understanding reports!

This then is the framework for my own work and for my remarks on significant events in the ecumenical movement. My major concern is to lay a foundation for the theology of ecumenism, and the significant events of the ecumenical movement are treated in that framework. I am, therefore, approaching these events primarily as a theologian rather than as a historian, even although I may employ the methods of historical criticism in trying to explore the meaning and significance of the events concerned. Along with our students I also have to try to discern the meaning of the

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ecumenical events studies - be these the Second Vatican Council, WCC Assemblies or the meetings of Faith and Order - since I have not personally attended any of these events. In approaching these ecumenical events, then, I am largely dependent on the literature emanating from and surrounding them, supplemented by the occasional “eye-witness’’ account!

Although the focus of this paper is on ways in which the significant events in the ecumenical movement might be taught, I would like to examine the importarice of these events for an understanding of the ecumenical movement. Why is it necessary to examine the specific literature of the ecumenical movement at all?

The significance of events for an Understanding of the ecumenical movement In his The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, the Czechoslovakian novelist Milan

Kundera offers a series of reflections on the importance of memory as the root from which the self-understanding of their identities by individuals and groups emerges. In one of the essays in the book, he analyzes the writing of Franz Kafka and comments:

Prague in his novels is a city without memory. It has even forgotten its name. Nobody there remembers anything, nobody recalls anything.. . No song is capable of uniting the city’s present with its past by recalling the moment of its birth.

Time in Kafka’s novel is the time of a humanity that has lost its continuity with humanity, of a humanity that no longer knows anything nor remembers anything, that lives in nameless cities with nameless streets or streets different from the ones they had yesterday, because a name means continuity with the past and people without a past are people without a name.

In his essays, Kundera explores this theme in relation to the way in which an attempt has been made by the state authorities to change the awareness of the identity of the Czech people since the end of the Second World War. An attempt has been made to erase the nation’s memory, and through this the identity of the people has been eroded. As Kundera notes when he quotes his friend Milan Hub1 approvingly: “The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its mernory.”2

The culture, traditions, songs, religious commitment, political ideals embodied above all in the literature and poetry of the community are important veliicles communicating and challenging the identity of the society. The awareness of the history of the community highlights the struggles, ideals and mistakes made by and in relation to the community. The cohesiveness and sense of direction of the community is nourished by its memories.

Through the exploration of its memories, then, a community comes to a renewed awareness of its identity. Through an examination of its history, the identity of a community also becomes apparent to those who have not taken part in its past., thus enabling them to understand the community better, and to be confronted by its perspectives and values.

The need for what he terms a “common memory” of the ecumenicai movement has been stressed recently in an important paper by Jose Miguez Bonino. By emphasizing the need for the ecumenical movement to articulate and appropriate its past, Bonino is suggesting that the ecumenical movement will be able to act more cohesively, arid the

‘Trans. Michael H. Heim, Harmondsworth, UK, Penguin, 1983, p. 157. ’Ibid., p. 159. While I am not in a position to gauge the accuracy of Kundera’s perceptions in relation to Czechoslovakia, his perspectives do seem applicable to Lithuania. See my article “A Visit to the L S S R , Doctrine and Life, 34 (10) 85, pp. 590-594.

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identity or vision of ecumenism will become more apparent to those who have not yet committed themselves to it. He writes:

The modern ecumenical movement has run for almost one century. The WCC is close to its fortieth anniversary. It is not such a long history, but it is already too long for us to rely on a spontaneous living memory. How, then, to “rememorate”, to make the past present and effective in our daily work? There have been changes but also continuities and “metamor- phosis” in this history. For a body like the WCC to maintain an organic and not merely an institutional continuity, it needs constantly to re-read and re-live its common past.

Such an attempt to “rememorate” or to appropriate the significant events of the ecumenical movement is seen to be essential if the ecumenical movement is to grow, and if the vision, albeit a vision in process of modification, is to develop and become manifest.

But how do we decide which events are significant? Is it that the more representative an event geographically and confessionally in terms of the world church is, the more significant the event becomes? Or is an event the more or less significant the more it adheres to my general conception of the ecumenical issue or vision in question? Does an event become significant because it marks a complete discontinuity with what has gone before, or does the significance arise because the event clarifies and sums up all that has gone before? How do we discern the significance of events?

On discerning the significance of events In exploring this theme, an analogy from the European musical tradition may help to

illumine our thinking. In taking such a musical analogy, I am aware that it derives from a particularly European cultural tradition and thus is not universal. Each of us is to a great extent conditioned by our own cultural traditions, just as the expressions we use in our theologies are drawn from our own cultural milieu. Such a musical analogy is merely an illustration. The same principles can be elicited from other models. Indeed it may be that these same principles could be better expressed by other models drawn from other musical and cultural traditions. However, the anticipated effect of a performance in the European cultural musical tradition is that the listener also becomes drawn into or absorbed into the movement and colour of the composition. While this analogy, therefore, is limited by its evident cultural limitation, it has the advantage of offering a participatory model and of conveying the sense that the “listener” is drawn into the very dynamics and dynamism of the work itself, just as the student should be drawn into the dynamics and dynamism of the ecumenical movement through the study of the material.

The classical tradition of symphonic writing as exemplified by Mozart and the early works of Beethoven presents in each movement of the symphony connected thematic material in more or less orderly fashion which leads to the full flowering of the theme. The theme is then examined and developed either in its elemental or decorative aspects. After this development, the theme is recapitulated in the same sequence and much the same fashion as in its original statement. In this classical form there is nothing superfluous; everything is intimately and explicitly connected to the main theme. The form is self-contained. ~

’“The Concern for a Vital and Coherent Theology”, report to the Executive Committee of the WCC, Kinshasa, Zaire, March 1986.

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The second symphonic form which I wish to introduce is the development of this classical form by the Romantics as exemplified in the writings of Brahms and Tchaikovsky. The Romantics attempted to provide a thread of unity existing from movement to movement, either through rhythm or through the repetition of thematic material. In this romantic form, it is the thread that runs all through the work which provides the cohesiveness. Whatever does not directly concern this thread is less significant overall, no matter how effective in its original setting. What is significant is how the different movements contribute to the development of the main theme, and the way in which that main theme is transformed as it progresses from movement to movement.

The final symphonic form for our consideration is that which is evident in the writing of the Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius. His symphonies as a whole are built on a mosaic pattern, which basically presents a mass of seemingly unrelated or even abrupt theme- fragments, as if he simply set down musical ideas as they came to him, some of which seem to lead nowhere. As Donald Grout notes in his A History of Western Music:

His originality consists partly in the free use he makes of familiar chords, partly in his orchestration (emphasizing low registers and unmixed colours), but above all in the nature of his themes, his technique of thematic development, and his treatment of form. Instead of full periodic melodies, a theme may be built of short motives that, first sounded separately, gradually coalesce into a complete entity (as in the third movement of the Fourth Symphony). Motives from one theme may be transferred to another, or themes dissolved and their motives recombined in such a way that the original theme is gradually transformed by the replacing, of its motivic units one by one until a new structure results (first movement of the Third Symphony).

These three types of symphonic form, without trying to press the analogy too far, provide different models for approaching and discerning the significance of events.

The “classical” form suggests an approach which examines an event itself, and is primarily concerned with stimulating interest in that event alone. Thus in communicating the main motifs and dynamic tensions of the WCC Assembly at Vancouver, an account of the event which was Vancouver is given to stimulate interest in, and to show the range of concerns of, the contemporary ecumenical movement. The significance of the event which is made the object of the exercise is seen, then, in terms of its importance for the contemporary church, of its impact on the people attending, of its range of concerns, and of its specific pronouncements. Such an examination of an Assembly, for example, may further demonstrate how the churches of different confessional traditions can take decisions together on theological questions and ethical issues, and how the issues of brokenness in our world impinge on the life and reflections of Christians throughout the world. The “classical” form therefore concentrates on one event exploring all the facets of that event, and noting its impact on the participants.5

London, Dent, 1980, 3rd ed., p. 665. These symphonic forms are evident also as types of structure in the writing of poets in the same period. They are exemplified also in the paintings (and possibly also the music and poetry) of Mikalojus K. Ciurlionis (1875-1911), the Lithuanian poet, painter and musician who developed a series of “sonata” form paintings where a theme is developed on three or four canvasses in some cases according to “classical” musical form, and in others according to the “romantic” or “Sibelius” types. ’Thus the material available for an exploration of the Vancouver Assembly would include the preparatory materials, e.g. Images of l i fe; Issues; Lord of l i fe; and esp. John Poulton, The Feasr of l i fe , Geneva, ’WCC, 1982; the report of the Assembly, David Gill ed., Gathered for Life, Geneva, WCC, 1983; the repcirts by various participants, e.g. Martin Conway, Look, Listen, Cure, London, BCC, 1984; and the video and tape cassette material issued by the WCC on the Assembly.

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The second form in our analogy - the “romantic” - suggests that an event is significant insofar as it contributes to a larger development. The event, or aspects of the event, are explored and their significance assessed in the light of what has gone before, and in its impact on later developments. An example of this might be seen in terms of the Lund Faith and Order conference with the two Principles and with the ecclesiology which emerged at the conference. Prior to the Lund conference, a comparative method of doing theology had been operative. Representatives of different churches described their theological understanding of a given topic, e.g. eucharist, after which the common elements from the presentations were affirmed, and the divergences noted as items for further exploration. At the Lund Faith and Order conference a new methodology emerged when it was suggested that the theologians from different Christian traditions should attempt to articulate a common theology on specific questions. Parallel to this methodological development, the conference also affirmed that the churches should do everything together except those things which deep differences of conviction prevented their so doing. The ecclesiology which underpinned those changes was that the church is a pilgrim people, which is striving constantly to articulate its theology, learning as it journeys, and not constrained by the theological statements of the past nor the ecclesiastical structures and ethical positions adopted in different circumstances and ages. The “classical” form of examining the Lund conference would be to explore these themes and their relationship to each other, through an examination of the reports and the thinking of the participants who made the proposals and discussed them. While such an investigation in this “classical” form of the Lund conference can lead to an appreciation of the dynamics and perspectives of Lund, what makes Lund “significant” is its continuity and discontinuity with previous Faith and Order conferences, and its importance in charting the methodology and agenda for future Faith and Order work. The significance of the Lund Faith and Order conference and other such events becomes apparent in its relation to the wider work of Faith and Order and the forms of interchurch dialogue. In this way, the Lund conference and other events demonstrate their significance when the “romantic” form is employed.6

It is, however, the analogy with the symphonic writing of Jean Sibelius which provides the most demanding exploration of ecumenical events. It is not enough, I think, simply to trace an element in the contemporary ecumenical movement. The real significance of any ecumenical event is the way in which it helps to illumine the vision of ecumenism, or challenges the current practices and theologies of the churches-in- isolation, and helps the churches to make more manifest the unity of Christians and their communities. Of course, it is not simply that the theology and practice developed in the ecumenical movement challenges the contemporary churches-in-isolation, the

See the Lund Faith and Order report in Lukas Vischer ed., A Documentary History of Faifh and Order 1927-1963, St Louis, Bethany Press, 1963. The significance of the methodological change is emphasized by e .g . Kuncheria Pathil, Models in Ecumenical Dialogue, Bangalore, Dharmaran Publications, 1981. The Lund Principle led, amongst others, to the Nottingham Faith and Order Conference (1964) and the pledge of the British churches to try to unite by Easter day 1980, and thus indirectly led to the formation of the United Reformed Church, and to the covenant proposals in England and Wales; to the covenant of the churches in Wales; the multilateral conversations in Scotland; and to the Methodist-Presbyterian shared church and ministry schemes in Ireland - to name its impact on churches in only one very small geographical area. It is important to include consideration of the effect of the world conferences and events on the life of churches in a region as part of the study of the event itself.

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theology and practices of the churches-in-dialogue are also subject to critique in the light of the gospel. The significance of the event is, therefore, found in relation to the way that it is illumined by or illumines the gospel. Any one event, therefore, is significant in its relation to the theological vision of the unity of Christians and their communities. By placing ecumenical events in this context, then, their significance emerges through their contribution to the total vision of the unity of the church for the sake of the unity of humankind. It is largely by placing “significant events”, as for example WCC Assemblies and Vatican 11, in this context that one is led to a greater commitment to ecumenism. However, the significance of an event, in the light of this “type”, lies in its relation to the overall theme, and its significance only becomes apparent in the light of that total statement of the theme, in the same way as is evident in a symphony of Sibelius, where the significance of a phrase, or a half-formed idea which in its place in the ordering of the work seems to lead nowhere, becomes apparent in the full flowering of the theme which is the climax of the work.

At this point, perhaps, a fourth example from the Western musical tradition should be given, viz. the “unfinished symphony”, though not so much in the Schubertian style as in that of Sibelius! Since the churches’ quest for unity is still in process, the student is being invited to enter the dynamics and dynamism of a movement which he or she is to take part in developing, transforming what has gone before in the light of changed interchurch relations, contemporary theological insights and the concrete tensions and opportunities of the world situation.

It may well be that the three “types” I have elaborated - and it must be stiressed again that the musical analogy cannot be pushed too far - can themselves be seem as a process of development in academic study, just as they are in the history of musical development. The circumstances of our situation will, however, undoubtedly determine whether or not it is possible to conduct a course in the “classical”, “romantic” and “Sibelius” mode, or employ all three in a process of development. Howevrx, the significance of the event under discussion is evident only in the light of the gospel and the total ecumenical vision. Seemingly insignificant details become keys to understanding that vision, whereas often that which was thought to be of great significance is seen to be of less importance.

With all three types, ecumenical literature must be examined so that the eveni: itself - be that a WCC Assembly, a bilateral dialogue, a Faith and Order report, the Programme to Combat Racism or the Vatican Council - is allowed to speak for itself. Any such event needs to be analyzed so that it can be understood on its own terms. In trying to suggest guidelines for this process, I have drawn up the following noles for the reading of reports, which I give to students.

Some guidelines for reading the reports of “Significant Events”

participants. Therefore, examine: a) who they are, in terms of their “disciplines”, cultures, experiences of life; b) what traditions are represented; c) what previous work has been done by them as individuals on the theme under

discussion. All these affect the insights they bring to the dialogue.

1. Exumine the List ufpurticipunts. Dialogue is an “experience” of the individual

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2. Examine the preparatory documents and the draft schema. Dialogue is a process. Therefore examine the discussion documents by the various participants, and the “feed in” by other groups. Cf. the contribution of the Les Dombes agreement when submitted as one response to the first draft which eventually led to the eucharist statement on BEM.

These lead to: 3 . Draft schema. Here one examines the journey which the commission has made.

What they have decided to add, or exclude from their previous draft: cf. the inclusion of subsistit in the Vatican I1 Decree on Ecumenism, and the exclusion of est.

4. Examine the previous relations between the communions represented in the interchurch dialogue. This pre-history will often determine the subjects for, and methodology of, the dialogue. Cf. ARCIC and the influence of the Wake-Girardin correspondence; the Oxford movement; the Lord Halifax-Portal conversations 1892- 1896; and the Malines conversations of 1922-1926.

5 . Note the time of the meeting. What might impinge on the awareness of the delegates, e.g. WCC Nairobi Assembly (1975). The reports, particularly Section 1, contain allusions to the theology of Bonhoeffer (30th anniversary of his execution), and to the kingdom of God (50th anniversary of the Stockholm Life and Work conference on this theme).

The situation in the world also needs to be examined as it impinges on the delegates. Cf. the importance of the “Cold War” at the Amsterdam Assembly (1948) especially in respect of the exchanges between John Foster Dulles and Josef Hromadka.

6. Compare rhe report with others on rhe same subject. Why does the report under review treat this topic which others have not felt it necessary to examine? Does this report treat the subject in a different way and why?

Note also the cross-fertilization which might be taking place between reports on the same subject.

7. Note the current writings on the subject under discussion. These obviously influence the thinking of the participants.

As one applies guidelines such as these, then the events are themselves allowed to address us. The significance of the event or report studied, however, even though such guidelines are followed for the interpretation of the event, emerges more fully in relation to other such events, and the vision of the unity of the church for the sake of humankind.

Teaching “significant events” - some illustrations For the most part, in teaching courses on ecumenical themes, our institute has a

practice of asking students to undertake some prior reading which will give them a general orientation in the field of study before the course itself begins. In preparation, therefore, for the course on the theological foundations of ecumenism, students are required to read a history of the ecumenical movement,’ a brief account of the

’Either Barry Till, The Churches Searchfor Unity, Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1972, which although it is not totally accurate did include an account of the Roman Catholic Church and ecumenism; or John Matthews, The Unity Scene, London, BCC, 1986. Students can later be introduced to the “official” history of the ecumenical movement, and to the ecumenical movement in specific regions of the world.

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theological perspectives of ecumenism,s and an account of the structure, concerns and history of the WCC.9 From this, it is hoped that the student will have a sense of the major concerns and perspectives of the ecumenical movement, so that we can then concentrate on trying to lay a theological foundation for ecumenisrn.

In exploring a theological framework for ecumenism attention is paid to the theme of unity and oneness in the Bible, and to the perception and experience of oneness enunciated by the early Christians. A fundamental aspect of that oneness was their awareness that they as a community were to live “as” (kuthos) God is one - manifesting in their living the oneness of the Godhead. Thus to explore the unity of the church involves exploring the oneness of God, which is to be source and paradigm for the oneness of the church. The church is a community defined by, and in its relatiion to God. The church is also a community which lives this relationship as it seeks to confess its faith in God, to celebrate the presence of God in worship, and to live ii life- style consonant with the understanding of God and of God-in-relation-to-humankiind. lo

In the light of this theological foundation, the reports of the “significant events” of the ecumenical movement are then explored in relation to their enunciation of the unity of the church and their reasons for stressing the importance of the manifestation of church unity. Thus the “significant events” are subjected to the analysis of the students in the light of this theological foundation, and simultaneously the events are perceived as “significant” in the light of these perspectives - the methodological analogy is that of the Sibelius type enunciated above.

In our examination of the ecclesiology, a different approach to the reports of the “significant events” is taken. As you will have perceived, I described the church in relation to God and in terms of the three marks of the church enunciated by the fathers of the Reformed tradition, viz. the church is the community of word, sacramerit and discipline. In respect of each of these three “marks” of the church, we explore together the major ecumenical programme on that mark. Thus in exploring the nature of the church as confessing community, after examining the nature and limits of confessions of faith, we explore the Faith and Order programme relating to confessing the faith today which encouraged churches in their local situation to confess the faith - a programme which has now developed into the study “Towards a Common Confession of the One Apostolic Faith”. Similarly with the church as eucharistic community, we explore the concept of eucharistic ecclesioiogy, and examine BEM and the ‘‘renewal of community” programmes. For the church as the community of discipline or discipleship we look at a specific ethical programme, normally the human rights work of the churches and the WCC. In each of these cases it is possible to examine the programmes mentioned as studies in their own right. By placing our reflections in the context of an examination of the nature of the church, however, the student perceives that the ecumenical movement is addressing the churches at the centre of their being, and that the specific programmes of the ecumenical movement are helping the church to be the church. The student is therefore able to perceive that the study of “significant

‘Either Paul Crow, Christian Unity: Matrixfor Mission, New York, Friendship Press, 1982, or William Rusch, Ecurnenisrn: a Movement Toward Church Unity, Philadelphia, Fortress, 1985.

E.g. W. A. Visser’t Hooft, The Genesis and Formation of the WCC, Geneva, WCC, 1984; or Ans ‘van der Bent, What in the World is the World Council of Churches?, Geneva, WCC, 1978. lo For an outline of this course see my article “Theological Foundations for Ecumenism”, Milltown Studies, No. 7 , spring 1981, pp. 1-20.

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events” can not only be interesting, but that the events have also immense significance for the church if it is to be true to its nature. While I have developed this material in a course trying to establish a theological foundation for ecumenism, it seems to me that there is no reason why the same material could not be used in the same way in any course on ecclesiology. Support for this may be found in the recent book by Anton Houtepen, People of God: a Plea for the Church, which adopts this approach, while the earlier work by W.A. Visser ’t Hooft, The Pressure of Our Common Calling, also employs the same perspectives.

In the course which I have been elaborating up to this point the major purpose has been to develop a theology of ecumenism which will motivate students to see that the ecumenical movement is not an option for the church but is the attempt to manifest the core of the gospel through a community which places at its centre the confession of God’s grace and care for humankind (the term missio Dei in various ecumenical documents seeks to affirm this also), the celebration of God’s presence, and the discipleship which is the living response to the activity of God. Through this the reports of “significant events” are seen to acquire their significance by empowering the church to be, and thus freeing the churches from their isolation and drawing them towards each other in fellowship. It is hoped that through this the student will appropriate the “significant events” and make them their own.

In the rest of this course, we look at specific attempts and models to manifest that oneness, examining the relevant literature and commentaries, and asking whether the model under inspection takes seriously enough the theological and ecclesiological foundation which has been laid.

In the context of discussing conciliar fellowship, the first explicit attempt is made to explore a facet of the Second Vatican Council. The question is posed as to whether the Roman Catholic Church can or should become a member of the World Council of Churches. To answer this, the student is encouraged to read the biography of Pope John XXJII by Peter Hebblethwaite, the recently published book Vatican I1 by Those Who Were There, edited by Alberic Stacpoole, the Decree on Ecumenism and the subsequent directory, the commentaries on the Decree, and the studies on the question of Roman Catholic membership of the WCC published in The Ecumenical Review and in booklet form in the United States. Of course, to answer this question it is necessary also to explore the nature of the WCC through an examination of the Toronto Statement, and the discussion since then on the ecclesiological significance of the WCC. Finally the question is addressed by taking into account the history of Vatican- WCC relations and the operational difficulties experienced by the Joint Working Group. l 2 In elucidating this particular session of the course - a question which is also set as an essay topic for the students - I have been at pains to give indications as to how the “significant event” of the Second Vatican Council is treated. The attempt is made to let the Council itself speak, through studying the dynamics of the Council’s own discussions, noting the dramatic change in ecumenical relations from all that had

’ I Anton Houtepen, People of God: u Plea for the Church, London, SCM, 1984; W. A. Visser’t Hooft, The Pressure of our Common Culling, London, SCM, 1959. ”Peter Hebblethwaite, John XXIII, London, Chapman, 1984; A. Vorgrimler ed., Commentaries on the Documents of Vuricun 11, New York, Herder, 1965; Alberic Stacpoole ed., Vuaticun II by Those Who Were There, London, Chapman, 1986; and T. Stransky and J. Sheerin eds., Doing the Truth in Chrify , New York, Paulist, 1982.

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happened previously, and exploring the significance of this event through an a.; sess- ment of how far the Roman Catholic Church has been enabled to accept the ecclesial nature of other churches, and to enter into fellowship at the local level with other churches.

The final session of this course is one where I use photo language material and techniques to encourage the students to talk about their view of the vision of ecumenism, thus assessing their appropriation of the material and their commitment to shaping the developing “symphonic themes”.

As a further recommendation to our students, it is suggested that they might read the biography or autobiography of a prominent ecumenist - I call this “bedtime reading”! - to discern what motivated the persons ecumenically to the extent that they devoted their life to the ecumenical vision. For their own personal meditation, the students are also introduced to the daily reading Bible notes of the International Bible Reading Fellowship Wordfor the World which link biblical reflection with important passages from ecumenical reports, and to the books of Hans-Ruedi Weber - Immanuel and On a Friday Noon - which introduce the reader to the diversity and richness of Christi.an art and literature, thus reasserting how much we learn from each other in our common pilgrimage. 13

The account of this mode of encountering the ecumenical literature suggests the model posed by the musical analogy with Sibelius. As a framework it enables the student to encounter ecumenical literature and to treat it seriously while being motivated also to take the ecumenical vision seriously, and to appropriate the “significant events”.

As a second example, I take a course which adopts the “romantic” typology. In a course on eucharist and eucharist sharing, we basically analyze, in respect of both the methodology adopted and the content, three of the current agreements on the eucharist - ARCIC, the Reformed-Roman Catholic agreement and BEM. These texts are explored thoroughly after an introduction to the course which presents through a commentary on, and examination of, the liturgical schema of different churches, the contemporary convergence on the structure, text and understanding of the eucharistic rite. Such an account is, of course, reinforced for the students by their participatiion in the worship of other churches in their “fieldwork exercises”.

When we noted the guidelines for reading reports earlier I briefly hinted iit the direction taken in our study of the background to ARCIC from the Archbishop Wake- Girardin correspondence to the present day. That correspondence is decisive for an understanding of ARCIC since it establishes firmly a distinction between fundamentals and non-fundamentals in theology, the fact of diversity in theological and liturgical expression, and the theological problem to be faced in terms of the sacrifice of Christ, and the presence of Christ in the eucharist. This of course is one instance where a complete ecumenical failure has been determinative for later rapprochement ! The ARCIC material is explored, as are the reactions and responses of the churches and groups within the churches to it, e.g. the Evangelicals, and attention is drawn to the materials developed as aids to discussing ARCIC in parishes.

A similar procedure is followed in the other reports studied. Thus in relation to BEM, the Faith and Order discussions on the eucharist from Lausanne 1927 1.0 the

l 3 Both published by the WCC.

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current time are explored, noting the impact of the Lund method, and of the work of Max Thurian, from his writing on Eucharistic Memorial to his drafting of the Lima Liturgy. When considering BEM we also look at the different ways in which different churches have participated in the process which led to the final statement. While the 1967 and subsequent drafts and the final reports have been sent to presbyteries and congregations for discussion and response in the Reformed churches, other churches have responded by statements from hierarchies adopted after the recommendation of specialized groups. Through this an appreciation of the process of shaping ecumenical texts and of “reception” becomes apparent, thus leading to an appreciation of the limits and possibilities for the future involvement of the student in the process of the interchurch theological dialogue. (Different possibilities arise in respect of the engage- ment in social action ecumenically.) This course on the eucharist is taught in similar forms to adult education groups and is normally completed by a celebration of the Lima Liturgy. With our degree course students, we sometimes set up working parties to write a contemporary liturgy or agreed statement as an exercise for ourselves. The ecumenical literature, then, of the “significant events” is here treated in terms of the development of a theme in line with the “romantic” typology treated above, though the importance of the topic in the light of the general vision of ecumenism has been given in the consideration of the nature of the church in another course. Through this course, the student is informed of the results of the latest ecumenical statements, is made aware of the different methodologies adopted and the reception and process of reception of the reports, and is introduced to theological and liturgical material which may be adopted and adapted for use in parishes.

In other courses, material from “significant events” - Vatican I1 and the different Assemblies of the WCC - is used in the attempt to construct together as staff and students a theology of justification by faith, a theological approach to ministry and the Petrine ministry and a framework for doing theology together. While the material from these events may seem incidental when used in this way, it is in fact essential to the enterprise and it is evident that once again it has largely been through the ecumenical movement that fundamental theological and ecclesiological questions for the churches have been raised.

The only occasion in which a “classical” typology as noted above is brought into operation in our teaching is when a seminar on a very recent ecumenical event is held. Thus William Lazareth recently led a seminar on the Lima Faith and Order conference, while others have presented the main themes and experiences of the Nairobi and Vancouver WCC Assemblies, and the conferences of the Catholic Conference of European Bishops. These have been stimulating occasions through which some participants seek to learn more, and through which former students are enabled to be sustained in their commitment. These do not, however, lead to the same degree of ecumenical commitment as the other “types”, in our experience.I4

When teaching this material in other institutions the basic comes outlined above are adapted, and the literature used is adapted to the level of the students concerned. After a number of years of presenting material from this literature by way of the “classical” and “romantic” typology, I felt the need to change to the “Sibelius” typology. Through

l4 Bibliographic materials for teaching according to these typologies may be found in the appendix to this volume, and in the outline of group report on the teaching of “ecumenics”.

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the “classical” and “romantic” types it is possible to introduce people to the material of the “significant events”, i.e., the literature specific to the ecumenical movement Such material is interesting and illuminating. The students of course examine such material critically as they do in any other course in their theological studies. However, I began to realize that for too many of these students, even though they were appreciative of the courses, they were not sufficiently motivated ecumenically. It still seemed to them that ecumenism was an option. While the “significant events” could help them to expand their horizons, they did not give them enough of a sense of the vision of ecumenism. However, as the courses relating these events to the fundamental theology and mission of the church have been developing, more students have been appropriat- ing the material and seeing it as essential that the vision of oneness become manifest.

Nearly all the material I have mentioned is related to the Faith and Order concerns of the ecumenical movement. This is because it is my task to teach theology rather than ethics or interfaith dialogue. However, I am convinced of the importance of the ethical and interfaith dimensions of ecumenism and try to convey this concern, but other colleagues teach that material. I have also omitted specific consideration (of the assemblies and reports from regional councils and assemblies. The same “typology”, however, occurs with respect to these. It is however important to include the material from such assemblies and gatherings in courses on ecumenics as they invite students from other geographical regions and cultural traditions to listen to the experiences of those in that situation as they struggle to proclaim and live the gospel in their context. 1 am also convinced that the major problems to be overcome in the attempt to make manifest the oneness of the church are the so-called “non-theological” factors, and they need to be examined through interdisciplinary work with the social sciences.

In this paper I have attempted to rationalize my own teaching programmes so that discussion on the teaching of ecumenical literature can be opened up. Undoubtedly these courses have developed in an ad hoc way over the years. However, I hope that some perspectives on method, content and materials have helped our mutual tliscus- sions. Having had the experience as a student myself that it was the literature of the “significant ecumenical events” which stimulated me and helped me to ask fundamental theological questions, I am convinced of their value for the development of a theology which transcends confessional boundaries and which draws us into fellowship with each other to the glory of God - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

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